Israeli 3D printing company XJet Ltd. has launched its new line of XJet Carmel AM System 3D printers. The new series comprises the Carmel 1400 and Carmel 700 AM systems, the former of which will be presented at the upcoming formnext 3D printing event in Frankfurt, Germany.

Both new 3D printers are based on XJet’s patented NanoParticle Jetting technology, which enables ceramic and metal 3D printing by using nanoparticle inks of either material to build objects up.

More specifically, XJet’s NanoParticle Jetting technology uses sealed cartridges filled with “solid nanoparticles in a liquid suspension.” When these are loaded into the 3D printer, they are jetted using a complex system of nozzles, which deposit “ultrafine drops” of the build and support material inks onto the build tray.

Inside the build envelope, extremely high temperatures effectively evaporate the liquid suspension of the ink, resulting in dense layers made from ceramic or metal. Finally, once the printing process is complete, the printed parts can be sintered and support materials can be removed.

3D printed ceramic parts using Carmel AM systems

“NanoParticle Jetting technology is a unique 3D inkjet technology that redefines additive manufacturing for metals and ceramics,” explained Hanan Gothait, CEO and Founder of XJet. “Other additive manufacturing technologies use powders, but we offer a real breakthrough by leveraging our know-how as pioneers of both inkjet printing and 3D printing industries.

“Our solution prints very fine layers of both build materials and a support material to enable the creation of complex geometries in a very simple and very safe process. While we are currently printing only one build material, we could theoretically print multiple build materials."

In terms of specifications, the new XJet Carmel 1400 3D printer boasts a build envelope of 500 x 280 x 200 mm, while the Carmel 700 has a slightly smaller envelope of 500 x 140 x 200 mm. Both machines are capable of both ceramic and metal 3D printing and offer a high level of detail for printed parts.

Metal 3D printed parts using Carmel AM systems

The slightly more advanced Carmel 1400 3D printer operates using Autodesk Netfabb Ultimate and is accompanied by a mobile app, which allows for remote monitoring of prints. The Carmel 700, for its part, is marketed as a more cost-effective solution for the same quality of prints; it operates using Autodesk Netfabb Standard and does not come with the mobile app.

XJet will be demonstrating its Carmel 1400 metal and ceramic 3D printer at formnext 2017, an industrial 3D printing expo held in Frankfurt this November. The company’s CBO, Dror Danai, will also be present at the event to speak about the company’s innovative NPJ technology.

“The XJet Carmel 1400 features a 1,400-square-centimeter build tray, one of the industry’s largest, for high-capacity production and a unique ability to print both ceramics and metals,” commented Danai. “The XJet Carmel 1400 system has already been delivered to a customer site and further details will be provided during the formnext exhibition.”

Founded in 2005, XJet has become an innovator in the additive manufacturing industry, offering solutions for precise and cost-efficient metal and ceramic 3D printing. The company first announced its NanoParticle Jetting technology for metal 3D printing in 2015 and got us all excited when it announced that the system could also process ceramic materials.

If you are planning to visit this year’s formnext exhibition, you’ll find XJet in Hall 3.1, booth E20.